Table for use in counting ballots



(No Model.)

G.M.GBEER. TABLE FOR USE IN COUNTING BALLOTS. ,123. Patented Nov. 5, 1895.

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( No Model.) L 2 Sheets-Shet L.

, G. M. GREER. TABLE FOR USE IN GOUNTING BALLOTS.

No. 549,123. Patented Nov. 5,1895.

AN DREW RGHMAM, PHDTOu'mO. WASHINGTOMDC UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE M. GREER, OF MOCOOL JUNCTION, NEBRASKA.

TABLE FOR USE IN COUNTING BALLOTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,123, dated November 5, 1895.

Application filed February 18, 1895. Serial No. 538,867- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. GREER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mc- Cool Junction, in the county of York and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Ballot-Table, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a ballot-table adapted for use in counting ballots which have been cast under the Australian system; and the object in view is to provide means whereby the accuracy of counting is insured and whereby the operation maybe performed with rapidity.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan View, partly in section, of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is alongitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of the table. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing a modified form of indicator. Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the gage-bar for adjusting the tickets in operative position.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a table or desk having duplicate side inclined portions or surfaces 2, between which is arranged a frame 3, having terminal uprights 4 and a connecting-bar 5. A longitudinal slot 6 is formed at the center of the table, between the inclined surfaces, and in this slot, with their upper sides flush with the top of the table, are the parallel feed-rollers 7, between which are fed the double series of tickets 8. The terminal trunnions 9 of these rollers are mounted in bearings in the uprights of the central frame, and in order to provide for the proper pressure of the rollers upon the tickets said trunnions are connected by springs 10. The trunnion at one end of one of the rollers is extended to form a crank 11 to facilitate turning the rollers backward, and contiguous to said crank, upon the same roller, is fixed a ratchet-wl1eel12, engaged by the spring-pawl 13 to prevent accidental backward rotation. This pawl 13 is pivotally mounted upon the upper surface of the table, whereby it may be swung to the side, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and thereby disengaged from the ratchet. The pawl is provided with a knob let to facilitate its adjustment. Forward motion is imparted to the rollers by means of a push-rod 15, mounted in a guide 16 beneath the top of the table and provided with an upturned extremity 17 to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel. Said guide consists of a pendent spring terminating in an eye, through which the push-rod passes, whereby the upturned extremity of said rod is held in yielding contact with the ratchet-wheel. Pivotally connected to the front end of the pushrod is a hand-lever 18, which is mounted in a bearin g 19 upon the under surface of the tabletop, extends upward through a slot 20 in the top of the table, is bent forward and then downward in front of the table, and terminates in a knob or handle 21.

Hinged respectively to the opposite edges of the horizontal connecting-bar of the central frame are the indicators 22, the lower edges of which are disposed close to the surface of the table, the interval being sufficient only for the passage therethrough of the continuous tickets. The lower edges of these indicators serve as guides for the eyes of the judges in reading the votes cast for the different nominees on the several tickets.

Arranged at one end of the table and contiguous to the side edges thereof are slots 23, through which pass the endless tally-sheets 24, said sheets passing between the abovedescribed rollers, whereby they are fed simultaneously with and at the same rate as the tickets to enable the clerks of the election to record the number of votes forthe several nominees as they are announced consecu tively by the judges. These tally-sheets also extend around tension-rolls 25, located below the plane of the tabletop and having their trunnions mounted in vertically-elongated bearings orislots 26, whereby the weight of the rollers maintains the tally-sheets at the desired tension to insure the proper feeding thereof between the feed-rollers. Arm-rests 27 are hinged to the upper surface ofthe table-top, between the slots through which the tally-sheets extend and the contiguous edges of the top, said rests being arranged to fold over and cover the lower exposed portions of the sheets to prevent defacing the same while checking the number of votes upon those portions of the sheets which are located adjacent to the indicators.

A detailed description of the continuous tickets and endless tally-sheets is unneces sary, in view of the fact that they are well known and do not form a part of my invention; but it should be understood that the tallysheets are equal in length to the tickets an d are inscribed with the names of the nominees and the offices for which they have been designated, whereby in operating the hand-lever to feed the tickets and tally-sheets between the rollers the corresponding divisions of the tally-sheets and tickets remain opposite each other.

The table may be constructed of any desired length to accommodate the desired number of tickets arranged side by side in duplicate; but in the construction illustrated the size of the table is such as to accommodate five sets or pairs of tickets, and as said tickets are arranged with their corresponding divisions in transverse alignment with each other and with the corresponding divisions 011 the tally-sheets a series of ten tickets may be counted simultaneously, five by a judge located at one side of the table and the balance by another judge at the opposite side of the table.

The above-described construction necessitates the arrangement of the tickets in pairs, with their faces in contact, previous to the commencement of the counting operation,

and in order to facilitate and expedite this arrangement of the tickets I provide a gage-bar 28, (shown in Fig. 7,) and having terminal openings 29 to engage vertical pins 30 near the ends of the table. This bar is provided with a series of spaced perpendicularly-disposed studs 31, and when it is desired to prepare the tickets for counting they are arranged in pairs upon said studs with their faces uppermost, as shown in said Fig. 7, the studs being passed through the tickets near one end to hold them in the proper relative positions. A stiffening-strip 32, having opposite gummed surfaces, is then applied to the ends of the uppermost layer of tickets, after which said layer and the strip are removed from the table, leaving the lower layer of tickets upon the studs. Said upper layer is turned, so that the tickets composing the same are face downward, and the free side of the stiffening-strip is applied to the faces of the tickets in the lower layer. After all of the tickets have been prepared in this way they may be inserted successively between the feeding-rollers to provide for counting the votes in the manner hereinbefore indicated.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly-modified form of the apparatus, in which the table has a single instead of duplicate inclined surfaces, the feed-rollers being arranged with their axes in a vertical plane and the indicator 33 being provided with a longitudinal slot 34: to expose the faces of the tickets in the upper layer. The tally-sheets are arranged upon opposite sides of the series of tickets, and a bracket 35 is arranged in rear of the frame which supports the indicator,

and consists of a longitudinal bar 36, having spaced guide-pins 37 and terminal supporting-springs 38.

In Fig. 6 I have shown a slightly-modified form of indicator adapted for use in connection with the double table shown in Figs. 1 to 4:, this indicator 39 having a vertical web 40, which extends through a longitudinal slot 41 in the horizontal bar of the central frame.

Lamp-brackets 4A are arranged at opposite ends of the central frame, the same having disks 45 and spindles 46, which fit in sockets 47, and at the opposite side edges of the table-top are arranged spaced guide-pins i3 to hold the tickets in the proper relative positions during the counting operation.

A drawer 4:9 is arranged in the table at one side and is adapted to contain record-books, &c., and a receptacle is formed beneath the table-top, at the opposite side, for the ballot-box 51, the slot 52 in the top of said box registering with a corresponding slot 53 in the hinged leaf or cover 54 of said receptacle, the upper surface of the leaf being flush with the top of the table and being provided with suitable locking devices 55. Extension-leaves 56 are hinged to the opposite ends of the table, and are adapted to be held in horizontal positions during use by means of rods 57, fitted in openings 58 in the ends of the table and provided at their inner extremities with stops 59 and at their outer ends with handles 60, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

This table is designed to serve the general purposes of a board or council table when not in use for counting ballots, and for this purpose it is constructed with the indicator at the center and with the operating mechanism beneath the top.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described the invention, I claim- 1. In a ballot-counting device, the combination with a supporting table, of parallel feed-rollers between which a plurality of con tinuous tickets may be fed simultaneously after traversing the surface of the table with their corresponding divisions in transverse alignment, and an adjustable indicator arranged above the plane of the table and having a transverse indicating edge arranged contiguous to the inscribed faces of the tickets, substantially as specified.

IIO

The combination with a table, of parallel feed-rollers between which a plurality of continuous tickets may be fed simultaneously with their corresponding divisions in transverse alignment, a frame arranged above said feed-rollers, and a hinged indicator mounted upon this frame and depending, when in its operative position, with its lower straight edge contiguous to the surface of the table, whereby the tickets may pass between said edge and the table top, substantially as specified.

The combination with a table, of feedrollers adapted to feed a plurality of continuous tickets simultaneously, an indicator having a straight edge to designate corresponding divisions on the several tickets, endless tallysheets extending between said feed-rollers and adapted to be fed simultaneously with the tickets, and means for maintaining the tallysheets at the desired tension, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with a table, of feedrollers adapted to feed continuous tickets, an indicator, endless tally-sheets extending between said feed-rollers and passing through guide-slots in the table top, gravity tension rollers located below the table top around which the tally-sheets extend, and operating devices adapted to give a step-by-step movement to the feeding-rollers, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a table, of feedrollers for continuous tickets, an indicator to designate corresponding divisions of a plurality of tickets, tally-sheets extending between said feed-rollers, and adjustable armrests hinged to the table top and adapted to temporarily cover the lower exposed portions of said tally-sheets, substantially as specified.

(5. The combination with atable, of a frame arranged midway between the side edges thereof and parallel therewith, feed-rollers arranged parallel with said frame with their axes in a common horizontal plane, indicators supported by said frame with their lower edges contiguous with the surface of the table and spaced therefrom to provide for the passage of duplicate series of tickets, tally-sheets extending between the feed rollers and through slots arranged respectively near the side edges of the table, and means for imparting rotary motion to the feed-rollers, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a table, of feedrollers adapted to feed a plurality of continuous tickets simultaneously, an indicator arranged contiguous to the feed-rollers with its indicating edge parallel with and adjacent to the surface of the table, spaced guide-pins arranged near the edge of the table to maintain the tickets in their proper relative positions, and means for imparting rotary motion to the rollers, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with a table, feed-rollers, means for operating said feed-rollers, a transverse indicator, and spaced guide-pins arranged in a series parallel with said indicator, of upright pins located near the ends of the table, a gage-bar provided with openings to engage said pins, and studs carried by the gage-bar and equal in number to the intervals between said guide-pins and disposed opposite the centers of the spaces between the same, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I GEORGE M. GREER. WVitnesses J. A. STANLEY, WILLIAM lllCFADDEN. 

